They wont hire me!

Do you have a grocery list of felonies? That would be a deterrant to any would be companies.

 

It's good that you wanted to see your child born. The next question to ask yourself is do she her grow up? Driving a big rig OTR will make this very difficult.

Don't get me wrong. Being an OTR driver can provide a nice income, but you need to consider what it will cost. This line of work is not for everyone. It is also very hard on a spouse. So your wife needs to understand the demands of this type of job, & be willing to endure them. If not, you are already doomed in this industry. To be truly successful in this industry you not only need the support of your spouse; you must be passionate about the job because it's not like any other line of work. It's not just a job. It's a lifestyle.

Good luck.

 

If you can hack the military, trucking will be a piece of cake. You already proved yourself with the Army.

 

The ones that have been driving for years didn't go to a bottom feeder after being churned out of a CDl mill . Try to find how many have been driving a year or two and ask how many people they kept up with from CDL school or driver orientation are still driving .
If you don't have much free time you're working for the wrong carrier . Many of us are home nightly or are home every weekend .

 

How I got my CDL... maybe you could do the same.

I learned how to pull a trailer when I was 12 by helping my grandfather work cattle in south Texas. In high school I worked a summer job in the oil fields driving heavy equipment.

After high school I wanted to obtain a CDL so I went to work for a local soft drink company (Coke) & they trained me, while paying me. Two weeks later I had a CDL plus a good paying local job for a young man.

You might look to get your license the same way. Some LTL companies will hire you as a dock worker & eventually train you to drive so you can make local p&d. Then after a time you could move in to their line-hauls. All while making good money & staying close to your family. Or you can use the jobs as a stepping stone once you've obtained your CDL.

My point is there are other avenues to obtain a CDL besides going to a driving school.

 

to answer your question, most of us old guys with lots of years, " have been there, done that, and have 3 or 4 dressers full of the t shirts". Look around and see what this industry has become since the "glory days" as one hand put it to me earlier. ( wig wags and split rims) been there done that too!
You young fellas are getting into an industry that is a hard row to hoe these days,
us old guys see the change and are advising basically to " pull your head out, open your eyes and look and see what kind of puddle your gonna step in, before you take that step",,,,,

farm boys know its easier to walk around that fresh cow pie than to clean it off your shoe later....

I for one am not gonna discourage you from being a driver, just be good and aware of what your stepping in before you take the step..... The cdl mills charge $2000 to $8000 some more, some less, if you don't jump high enuf and in the right direction, you get fired or quit. You get stuck with that bill and a set of empty pockets , and more likely than not no bus ticket home and a long way to go to get there.... Truckin school like that one fella said , is not the only way to get a cdl....not to mention the fact that most only teach you enuf to pass the skills test at dmv..... You learn the job after the fact someone said anyone can train a monkey to do our job..... Go to the local dmv and get your drivers manual or get online and do it. Google free cdl practice tests and get busy.... Then find a truck to practice in , get your permit and ride with a fella willing to help.... Your bound to find an o/o who is willing to teach ya, you'll probably make a new friend for life too,,,maybe he will let ya drive a little and then use the truck on weekends to practice your skills test... God give ya a brain , use it, get creative. Its there for more than just weight to hold your pillow on the bunk..... Quit your whining here, and as larry says " git er done" all this time spent here could be study time in a cdl manual....

 

Also some cities and state DOT's hire workers and train them to get a CDL .
I worked for MPW Industrial Services . They always need CDL drivers . They hire drivers without CDL's to mostly operate tandem vacuum trucks on site for jobs 2 or 3 weeks or more . The need drivers with CDL's to transport these trucks and semi's with water blasters between jobs . They do train some drivers for Class A .

 

not now ricky bobby, they cut out tuition assistance a couple weeks ago, i know i had to pay 2500 for my kids next quarter of college, military school no less , lol.